5 Reasons to Use a Hashtag For Your Wedding

2014 Sep 25 - by Shriya

Hashtags are pretty commonplace these days - evolving from use on Twitter to a handy tracking device at weddings and family events. If you're big into Instagram, and you want a way to remember your wedding from all sorts of different perspectives, it's worth crafting a handy hashtag for your big day.

For starters, make sure you, your hubby, a close friend, or family member has an Instagram account. Instagram is a great way to share pretty pictures with your network - it's especially useful to make your wedding centerpieces look heavenly in the right light.

After that, all you have to do is put your phone down, enjoy your wedding moments, and check back on Instagram later to see all the magic!

5 Reasons to Use a Hashtag at Your Wedding:

1. You can get creative.

Do you and your groom have easily mashable names, like #brangelina? You can have lots of fun creating a clever hashtag to represent your new union. Use your future last name for hashtags like #PatelParty or #ShahShaadi - or go with something simple and sweet, like #BrideWedsGroom (insert your names, of course.)

Just make sure that your hashtag is unique to you - you don't want to search it on Instagram later and find thousands of unrelated pictures.

Whatever the result, a unified hashtag is a great way to get all your guests under the same mentality: this is one big family and you're all there to celebrate it! To encourage its use, remind guests of the hashtag by posting it on a sign before entrance to the wedding venue.

2. You can get your guests' perspective on the wedding.

Sure, you've probably hired an expensive photographer and your engagement/couple shots are straight out of a Bollywood film. But you might want to know how your guests see the ceremony too. Their photos won't be as professional or glamorous, but don't be too doubtful! Instagram filters are great, and your guest may catch more special, candid moments - which look surprisingly fancy in Lo-Fi or Mayfair.

Your guests will also be able to capture pictures of themselves, which the photographer won't have enough time to do since he's busy getting the perfect shots of the newlyweds. It's rewarding to see pictures of your guests having a great time at your wedding - it's an appreciation of your wedding planning skills!

You could always put disposable cameras at each reception table for a retro vibe or, if your guests aren't the type to be on Instagram. However, the quality of disposable camera photos is not nearly as good as pics taken on a modern-day smartphone.

3. You can easily create collages/scrapbooks and get prints via photo apps.

It might seem easier to depend on your photographer or drop off disposable cameras to get tangible prints for your dream wedding scrapbook, but now you can get this service via Instagram too.

Many photo-printing apps can print and format photos collected straight from Instagram, with little to no hassle.

Try Printstagram, which allows you to format photos however you like - including in giant posters for your wall. You can even get small books of prints made for $10-$12, or get your photos printed Polaroid-style so that there's room to write notes on the borders.

PostalPix is a more straight-forward app which will print your square Instagram photos for 30 cents each. You can get basic prints quickly and in different sizes and glossiness ranges.

4. You get the (free!) benefit of pretty filters.

Instagram filters are famous now, with many iPhone apps even creating filter options for non-Instagram users. Why not take advantage of the free editing?

The Sierra filter on Instagram

Both you and your guests can snap Instagram pictures during the wedding, and you can edit them on the spot for prettier effects - like the glowy Valencia or the shadowy Sutro. After using your beloved hashtag, you'll have a nice collaboration of professional-looking pictures at your fingertips.

This will save you the time, effort, and even money to get some of your pictures edited for print. Remember, you still have your photographer for the romantic, high-quality couple shots!

5. You can easily find all the pictures from your wedding.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of using a hashtag at your wedding is the ease with which you can look through your guests' photos after all the craziness and partying has ended. Instead of emailing your sister to send over pictures of you that she took while you were getting ready or posting a "please share pictures" status on Facebook, all your behind-the-scenes, candid wedding moments are conveniently located under your hashtag.

It's a hassle-free way for guests to share their photos of your wedding without directly sending them to you - and they probably get more Instagram likes for them too!

Save yourself the post-wedding frantic hunt for precious moments and relax with your new spouse as you "heart" all the pictures your guests took of your special day.